​March 12, 2018​TDLR Strategic PlanningThe Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) invites you to join us for our 2018 Strategic PlanningSessions!TDLR will host face-to-face sessions around the state with our licensees and the public during April 2018. These sessions are your opportunity to share your ideas and opinions with us directly about how we’re doing and how we can improve. Your feedback during these open and interactive sessions will help us chart the course for TDLR’s future.Your voice matters. We value your input and look forward to hearing from you. During each session participants will be asked to respond to the following questions about TDLR:

What are we doing well?

If you were king or queen for a day, what changes would you make to TDLR’s laws, rules, or processes?

During the next five years, what major changes do you expect in your profession or industry, and in the state of Texas?

What changes should we make to prepare for the next catastrophic event, such as Hurricane Harvey?

TDLR’s 2018 Strategic Planning Sessions will be held in five cities on the dates listed below. More details on exact locations and times will be announced soon:

Monday, April 9: Arlington and El Paso

Monday, April 16: Houston and McAllen

Monday, April 23: Austin

No RSVP or registration is required--sessions are free and open to everyone. Even if you can’t attend our face-to-face sessions, we want to hear from you. TDLR will post survey questions on our Facebook pages and responses will be included in our strategic planning analysis.Ideas and suggestions from strategic planning sessions make a difference. We make process improvement and rule changes based on your feedback, and we share your feedback with state lawmakers. Your ideas can create real change for Texas.Keep up with the latest information about our 2018 Strategic Planning process on the TDLR website, and be sure to visit us on Facebook: TDLR and TDLR-Medical and Health Professions.Questions? Email customer.service@tdlr.texas.gov.

PENALTIES AND VIOLATIONS INFORMATION

The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (Commission) provides this public notice that at their regularly scheduled meeting held March 1, 2017, the Commission adopted the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's (Department) revised enforcement plan which was established in compliance with Texas Occupations Code, §51.302(c).The enforcement plan gives all license holders notice of the specific ranges of penalties and license sanctions that apply to specific alleged violations of the statutes and rules enforced by the Department. The enforcement plan also presents the criteria that are considered by the Department's Enforcement staff in determining the amount of a proposed administrative penalty or the magnitude of a proposed sanction. The enforcement plan is revised to include the penalty matrix for the Orthotists and Prosthetists program.The Texas Legislature enacted Senate Bill 202 (S.B. 202), 84th Legislature, Regular Session (2015), which transferred regulatory authority of 13 programs, to include Orthotists and Prosthetists from the Texas Department of State Health Services to the Commission and Department. The Orthotists and Prosthetists penalty matrix provides for a single range of penalties for each class to eliminate confusion and allow the industry to fully understand the penalties assessed. The matrix separates standard of care violations from the others to allow for an expert witness, when needed, to assist the Department in understanding the violation. This penalty matrix may differ slightly from others as the agency focuses on aligning strategic plan goals with agency resources.The Advisory Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists recommended approval of the revised matrix at their meeting held January 20, 2017. The penalty matrix was presented to the Commission on March 1, 2017, and was adopted as recommended.A copy of the revised enforcement plan is posted on the Department's website:

You may also contact the Enforcement Division at (512) 539-5600 or by e-mail at enforcement@tdlr.texas.gov to obtain a copy of the revised plan.

​Inspection Information for Owners and Practitioners-in-Charge of Orthotic and Prosthetic FacilitiesStarting October 1, 2016, regulation of Orthotists, Prosthetists, and Orthotic/Prosthetic Facilities moved from the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Rules reviewed by the Orthotists and Prosthetists Advisory Board and approved by the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation require that Orthotic and Prosthetic facilities be inspected once every two years.

Inspectors from TDLR’s Field Operations Division will perform unscheduled inspections during your regular business hours beginning in March 2017.​Inspectors will check that your accredited facility is complying with the sanitation, safety, record-keeping and licensing requirements of the law and rules. Inspectors will explain in detail any violations that are noted, what corrective actions to take, and give you a chance to ask questions.Inspection results fall into one of the following three categories:

No Corrections Needed – No action required. Your facility is in compliance.

Corrections Needed – Make corrections within 10 days of the inspection date.

Violations Sent to Enforcement – Make corrections within 10 days of the inspection date. In addition, a representative of the Enforcement Division may contact you regarding the violations.